'What?' Tyler frowned at her 'No I am sure that you are wrong' he shook his head in disbelief

'Would you tell me? I mean if Joey had confided in you?' Lauren asked him

'Do you really think that Joey would confide in me about something like that?' he asked her and he took a breath and he let it out slowly as he sat down

'I don't know' she said with a frown 'I wouldn't have thought that Joey would have an affair'

'Why do you think he's having an affair?'

She told him what had happened last night and this morning and he blinked at her in surprise

'That's it?' he asked her 'Just because of something that happened last night and this morning and you jumped to the conclusion that he is having an affair?' he frowned at her 'What did Joey say?'

'You know I think I need another drink' she said picking up her glass and walking to the bar, she brought another double vodka and coke before returning to her seat.

'You haven't spoken to him about it have you?' Tyler asked her

'No' she shook her head

'Don't you think you should?'

'What if he denies it?'

'What if there is nothing to deny?'

'Then why would he delete texts, lie about where he was going?'

'And how is sitting here getting drunk going to help?' he asked her softly 'Lauren, Joey loves you. He's in love with you' he told her softly. 'You have four children together. He's not going to do anything to jeopardise that is he?'

'Dad did'

'Joey isn't your dad' he told her softly 'You know what I think that you should do?' he asked her

'What?'

'Talk to Joey' he told her as her phone rang. She looked at it and she saw that it was Joey calling her. She ignored the call and took a drink. Tyler rolled his eyes and shook his head

'What are you like hey?' he asked her as the call went through to voicemail.

'Why don't you let me take you home?'

'Because I don't want to go home' Lauren said to him 'I want to stay in the pub and talk to you'

'This isn't going to solve anything'

'Maybe not but it's making me feel better'

Tyler took her drink from her 'Come on you up!' he told her. He led her out of the pub and she lopped her arm through his as they walked back to her car 'Car keys please' he held out his hand

Lauren fished them out of her hand bag and she dropped them into his open palm

Tyler drove them back to Lauren's house and parked beside Joey's car. She got out of the car and she looked at Tyler

'Are you coming in?' she asked him

'For a coffee while I wait for a cab' he nodded his head

Lauren grinned at him 'You could stay for dinner'

'I can't I have plans' he told her 'But thank you, some other time maybe' he followed her up to the house and she unlocked the door and they went inside.

'Lauren is that you?' Joey called out to her

'Expecting someone else?' she replied as she closed the door 'Take a seat in the lounge Ty I'll make the coffee and bring it through'

'All right thanks' he nodded and he walked into the lounge. Lauren walked into the kitchen and she started the coffee machine.

Joey looked at her 'Where have you been?' he asked her 'I tried to call you'

'I know I saw. I just didn't feel like talking to you'

Joey frowned at her 'What? Why? I thought we both apologised to each other this morning'

'You know you left your phone here this morning?'

'Yeah I know' he nodded 'Well I didn't until I came home and found it' Joey frowned at her 'How did you get on at the Doctors?'

'I didn't go' she replied 'I went to the Vic instead'

Joey blinked 'Why?'

'Because I fancied a drink and I bumped into Ty and he's here in the lounge, I'm making him coffee' she replied as she got two cups out.

'The kids are going out tonight, I thought we could sit down and talk'

'Talk about what?' Lauren asked him 'And when you say that the kids are going out tonight I assume that doesn't include Hope because if it does you misunderstand the concept of grounding, she's not supposed to leave the house' Lauren told him with a frown. She made the coffee and took it through to the lounge leaving Joey confused in the kitchen.

He listened to Lauren and Ty talking quietly in the lounge. Tyler left after an hour in a taxi and Lauren went into the kitchen with the dirty cups and she rinsed them before opening the door to the dishwasher to put them in, she discovered it was full 'Oh I see Hope hasn't bothered to wash up either, just stuffed the dishwasher full. Part of being a parent Joey is that you need to be able to see through the punishments that you give the kids. Where have you hidden her phone?' she asked him, when she looked up at him he looked sheepish. 'Right so the only punishment she has is that she can't use my car, which she doesn't need with you ferrying her about everywhere. Good job Joey' Lauren frowned at him, she left the cups on the side and she swept her bag off the bar.

'Where are you going?'

'To lie down' Lauren replied

Joey sighed 'Why are you being like this?' he asked her 'I'm sorry about what I said last night, it came out wrong. I just meant that I missed you… us' he told her

'I wish I could believe that Joey'

He frowned at her 'What's that supposed to mean?' he asked her

'What did you want to talk about?' Lauren turned to look at him

'Us' he replied 'I want to talk about us'

Lauren swallowed 'you know what Joey if you're about to tell me what I think you're about to tell me I would rather you didn't. You can just pack your bags and go' she told him and she turned and ran up the stairs and into the bedroom, leave a confused Joey downstairs staring after her.

AN: Would Joey be confused by Lauren's actions if he was having an affair? Or does he think that Lauren is clueless to his actions?

Thank you for all your reviews R&R as always (except for certain guest reviewers….please don't bother … you know who you are!)